DISCLAIMER - I don't own Digimon, but you can bet that if I did, we'd see more stories like this on our screens!

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This is the epilogue/sequel of sorts to my previous Taiora story, "Choices - Courage and Love." It's not *really* romance in the truest sense of the word - not all of it anyway, a lot of it's slightly humorous - but I put it under the Romance category just so you'd all be clear that it's connected with the previous story. Obviously, it's a Taiora - but there's a hefty dose of Mimoe involved too, and even a little Takari! How did I fit it all in, you ask? Read and review!!

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CHOICES - THE EPILOGUE -------------- LIFE -------------- By Chris McFeely

Do you, Taichi Kamiya, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife - to have and to hold, to love and to honour, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better or for worse - as long as you both shall live? I do. And do you, Sora Takenouchi, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband - to have and to hold, to love and to honour, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better or for worse - as long as you both shall live? I do. Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.

Some had said that maybe they were too young - but granted, not many. On the five year anniversary of that fateful night, Taichi Kamiya had got down on bended knee, and asked Sora Takenouchi for her hand in marriage. She had accepted at once, of course. The question of their age had been risen by some - they were now both 22 years of age - but most people, like Tai and Sora themselves, knew that it was simply... just... right. It wasn't long before the questions and complaints had died off, and the preparations had begun. The wedding was arranged quickly, but it was still a grand affair, all done in the best possible taste. It was held in the same church that Tai's parents had been married in. Matt was Tai's best man, naturally, while Mimi had been selected as Sora's maid of honour. All their other close friends and family - Izzy, Joe, Takeru, Kari, Davis, Yolei and Cody - were present, as bridesmaids and groomsmen.

(Author's note - For your benefit, so you don't have to do the math: Matt is also now 22, Izzy and Mimi are 21, Joe is 23, Kari and Takeru are 19, Davis and Yolei are 20, and Cody is 17)

As it had been with their first kiss those few years ago, Sora and Tai could hear nothing that went on a round him as their lips met, and the marriage was sealed. As they parted, a few seconds later, their senses came back to them, and they could hear the thunderous applause that was filling the church. They turned, arm in arm, and looked on at their friends. Mimi, Kari and Joe were all in tears, and Matt didn't look far off it either. Takeru and Davis were whooping and hollering as they clapped, as Izzy, Yolei and Cody remained perfectly composed, and applauded loudly. The congregation began to move out of the church, as Tai and Sora stepped down from the altar. They could hear snippets of conversation around them. ...knew it was going to happen... That sounded like Mimi. ...promised myself I wouldn't cry! That was Joe for sure. WHOO! YEAH! Takeru, certainly. The huge oak doors of the church groaned open, and Tai and Sora stepped out into the bright summer sun. Confetti, rice and streamers were flying in the air above them as the crowd parted to allow them passage down the path, to the limo waiting at the end to take them to the reception. The looked at each other and rolled their eyes, then grinned and resumed nodding, waving and saying to as many people as they could. Tai aided Sora in getting into the limousine as they reached the end of the path, and practically jumped into the car himself, to get away from the well-wishers. Tai exclaimed, as he thudded into the leather seat and shut the door behind him. If I'd know it was gonna be this much trouble, I might have though twice about popping the question! He gave Sora a knowing wink. Sora responded with a smile and a good-natured whack on the head with her bouquet.

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The reception was lavish, to say the least. The Kamiyas had spared no expense in giving Tai and Sora the biggest wedding in Odaiba's recent history. Sora's mother had contributed all she could, plus, her new boyfriend was more than just a bit well off when it came to monetary concerns, so it all equalled one helluva big hooplah. The afternoon went on, with the friends all reminiscing about the past, and discussing the future. Matt's band was providing the music accompaniment for the event, and Mimi took every opportunity she got to sing solos.

So, Kari, Takeru said, approaching her, tugging on the collar of his somewhat restrictive black suit. Wanna d-ack! Davis shot in the from the side and elbowed Takeru out of the way, sending the youth sprawling into Cody, who nearly fell over. Hey, TJ, I think I heard someone callin' you... Kari, wanna dance? Kari rolled her eyes, then smiled. What the heck, she replied. Just this once. She and Davis stepped out onto the dance floor, as Takeru helped Cody steady herself. I'm... uh... not very good at this... Davis admitted, as they began. I'll lead, Kari said, in an almost seductive manner. Davis confirmed. Kari tugged on the front of her rather low-cut dress - she would need to talk to Mimi about the concept of conservative dress later. Eyes front, Davey-boy, she instructed him, and they whirled off across the floor. Takeru muttered to himself quietly on the sidelines for a few minutes, until he spotted Kari winking at him from over Davis's shoulder. He lifted an eyebrow.

Mimi took a break from singing to have a drink and reconnoitre with Joe. She found him, sitting in a corner, sniffling. Are you still crying? she asked. Joe jumped up, having been caught by surprise. Uh... ah... no... just... got something in my eye, he said, whipping off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. He replaced them, and reached around the table, pulling Mimi over toward him. She sat down in his lap and rested her head on his shoulder. So, how's everything going for you? he asked her. It's just been perfect so far, honey, she replied, giving him a peck on the cheek. I'm just gettin' tired of people asking me when we're gonna get married...

Izzy sipped his wine, and stared back across the table at Yolei. That's true, he said. But you have to consider the results when you cross-program the parallel subroutine with the prime directive. Yolei ran her finger around the tip of her glass, making it resonate. Fair point, she agreed. But then, what if you did that, and reversed the function of the resultant program junction? Izzy was silent for a minute, and leant back in his chair, swishing the last of his wine around in his glass. He looked up at Yolei again. Wanna dance? Thought you'd never ask.

Tai and Sora stared lovingly into each other's eyes, their arms linked around their bodies, as they slow-danced to the soft music that Matt and his posse', as he called them, were playing. It slowly faded into nothing, and the two newly-weds kissed again as the dance ended.

This cry from Davis broke the serenity, but his reaction, they thought, was justified, when the wedding cake itself was wheeled into the room on a trolley by a group of very stereotypical chefs. Five tiers, white, decorated with pink icing - Mimi's idea, again - with the Tai and Sora dolls that Puppetmon had used to control the kids back in the DigiWorld on top (now dressed in wedding attire, of course). Everyone crowded around, as Tai and Sora, somewhat in awe of the massive desert, prepared to cut the first slice. Mimi leaned in a whispered something to Sora, who smiled wickedly. Tai didn't notice, as he was busy looking for the knife. Ah, here we are... Tai said, as one of the moustachioed chefs handed him the implement. You want to cut it, or shall I? Oh, let me... Sora insisted, grinning. Whatever you want, Tai said, handing her the knife. Deftly, Sora made three quick strokes and levered out two pieces of cake. Tai took one, and she took the other. Let's do that thing, Sora said, y'know, where we feed each other the piece? Tai shrugged. Long as I get to eat it, he smirked. They both linked arms, and Tai tried to get a little leverage to direct Sora's piece towards her. A second later, the situation was moot, as Sora smashed him in the face with his piece, covering him with icing and sponge. Ohh, you wanna play it that way, huh? he asked, with a jokingly evil smile, wiping cake from his face. Sora retaliated by jerking her arm, still intertwined with Tai's, so that he smashed himself with the piece of cake he was holding as well. The crowd erupted into laughter, as Tai spluttered. Sora laughed too, and kissed him on the cheek, then pulling back and licking her lips, commenting that it was damn good cake, too.

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Outta the way! Mimi shrieked, shoving Kari aside. Sora stood at the top of the small flight of steps that led up to the band's stage, Tai at her side, with her back turned to the crowd. Don't you dare dive for it! Yolei ordered, pushing her way between the horde of female guests. Herself, Mimi, and Kari were at the front of the crowd. Try and stop me! Kari said, shoving Mimi back. Sora called out over her shoulder. Mimi, Kari, Yolei and the other females chorused, amid squeals and yells. Here it comes... Sora's arm shot up, hurling the bouquet over her head, out into the midst of the dance floor. The women had failed to recall that Sora had been a tennis player in her early teens, and has such, had a pretty good arm on her. The bouquet sailed over the crowd, and landed in Joe's lap. he yelped, leaping up from where he was sitting, allowing the bouquet to fall to the floor. The next thing he saw was a crowd of about two dozen rabid women, bearing down on him, and all he could manage to squeak out was: Mimi, Kari, and Yolei barrelled into him, knocking him from his feet, and the other women soon piled on. Matt darted over and helped Takeru and Davis drag him out from under the throng. You know, Joe said, as he dusted himself off, I'd have thought having twenty women piling on top of you and clawing at you would be fun... but it ain't... It's MINE! Mimi yelled, clobbering Yolei upside the head with the bouquet, and emerging victorious from the pile of females, holding the now-tattered flowers aloft. She jumped into Joe's arms. Looks like a sign, honey, she said, kissing him. Joe grinned. Matt cried. Gotta book! Be right back! He darted off in the direction of Tai and Sora again. Now, where's he... HEY! Joe exclaimed. He practically dropped Mimi, and raced off after Matt. Sorry, honey! he yelled back. Important guy thing! Sora sighed. Remind me again why we're doing this one? Matt said that he'd use the figurines on the cake to make us line-dance if we didn't, Tai replied. Sora rolled her eyes again and sat down on the edge of the steps, lifting up her dress's hemline. Well, let's just do it before the testosterone in here gets unbearable. Taking care, Tai reached under her dress and slipped Sora's garter free from her thigh, holding it up into the air. Comin' atcha, guys! he yelled, throwing it up high. I got it! Matt proclaimed, backing up to catch it. I got iiiiit....! Davis tackled Matt from behind, knocking him off his feet. No ya don't! Izzy leapfrogged over Davis's back, and hit the floor, sliding towards the garter, which now sat on the floor, but didn't get far before he felt someone grab his jacket. Looking back, he saw Joe, darting forward to snatch it up. Quickly, Izzy grabbed his ankle, and Joe fell on his face, mere inches away from the garter. As the other men at the party scrabbled over each other to get to it, Takeru, who had initially stood back, just waltzed over from his vantage point, and scooped up the garter. He shot the guys, all lying on the floor, a wicked grin, as he spun the garter on his index finger, and winked at Kari. Davis muttered something incongruous as the men disengaged and got their feet, with numerous grumbles, including I had it..., ...grab my ankle... and ...the friction force that is in effect from this surface is certainly what I would attribute failure to achieve the prize to...

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The afternoon blurred into evening, and the evening into night, as the party continued without any events of note - except when Kari slapped Davis for accidentally' bumping into and falling on top of her out on the dance floor. By midnight, most of the guests had dispersed. Only the original eight DigiDestined remained, as lights went out and music was stopped. The eight young adults stood around, outside the hotel, saying their goodbyes as Tai and Sora prepared to head off on their honeymoon. Have a great time, you guys! Mimi squealed, hugging and kissing them both on the cheek. Don't do anything I wouldn't do! Is there anything you wouldn't do, Mimi? Sora asked. Mimi replied. Good luck, Tai, Izzy said, shaking his friend's hand. Yeah, ditto, Joe added. Same goes for you, Sora, Takeru added, giving her a hug. Aw, you know we wont have any fun without you guys there, Tai said, jokingly. Maybe a different kind of fun, huh, big brother? Kari suggested, winking, and elbowing Tai. He blushed. Matt stepped forward. You take good care'a this girl, Kamiya, he said, removing his hand from his pocket, and extending it to Tai. Or else I'm comin' after you. He cracked a smile, as Tai grasped his hand, and shook it firmly. You know it, man, Tai said, hauling Matt in and hugging his friend. Aw, dude, c'mon, Matt said, squirming. You're embarrassing me... Everyone laughed as Tai released Matt. Matt rubbed the back of his head. Go on, you guys better get outta here, or you'll miss your flight. Tai said, sadly. We'll miss you guys, Sora said, sniffing. Ah, you're only gonna be gone for a month! Mimi said. You'll be back before you know it! Now you go, and you have the best damn time of your lives, and you forget about us for a while and be with each other! Y'know, honey, Joe said, linking his arms around Mimi's waist from behind, sometimes you make so much sense, it's scary. Well, I learned from the most sensible guy I know, Mimi replied, leaning back and kissing Joe on the lips. Everyone paused, expecting the two of them to break it off after a second. They didn't. Hrmn, well, I think they'll be busy for a while, Izzy said, sweatdropping. Tai and Sora laughed. See ya in a month, guys! Tai said, as they turned to walk down the steps, back into the limo waiting to take them to the airport. As the door shut behind them, Tai rolled the window down, and was greeted with multitudinous cries of and See you soon! He and Sora waved as they headed off, until their friends were just specks on the horizon.

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It was an incredible month. Tai and Sora were overly unoriginal in their choice of destination, but Hawaii was as good a place as any - and it wasn't as though it really mattered where they went, as long as they were together. They did all that crazy tourist stuff - swimming, surfing, shopping, sight-seeing... Sora noted how all tourist activities seemed to begin with the letter S. Tai said there wasn't anything wrong with things that began with S, and that she was proof of that. She'd whacked him for being so corny.

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A year passed. Unquestionably the happiest year of Tai and Sora's lives. So much had happened - Joe and Mimi finally announced that they were engaged, not that it came as a surprise to anyone. Takeru and Kari were dating - as Matt had noted - as were Izzy and Yolei, although they weren't quite as serious as Takeru and Kari; as sort of on-again off-again thing, with the break-ups usually caused by disagreements over scientific principles. Davis, meanwhile, had joined Matt's band, which went on to achieve a number one hit, with a little song Matt had cooked up that he called Hey Digimon! Cody, meanwhile, graduated with honours and went off to Cambridge in England. Tai and Sora were as happy as could be - steady jobs, no money worries, home in the upper-class part of Odaiba - but there was just one little thing...

Sora said, stepping into the living room, can we talk for a minute? Sure, honey, Tai said, immediately flipping off the TV, and motioning for her to sit with him on the couch. She sat down in his lap, and rested a hand on his chest. Sora asked, do you love me? You have to ask? Tai inquired. Of course I love you, honey. I'll love you forever. Sora smiled at him, as she stared into his deep, brown eyes. That was what he had said all those years ago. she said, tentatively, do you think that you have enough love... for two? Wh... what do you mean? You're going to be a father, Tai. Time was standing still again. I'm pregnant. Puh... puhpuh... Tai wheezed. Puh... pregnant? Are you okay, honey? Tai asked, standing, and lifting her in his arms. I'm better than okay! This... this is the happiest day of my life! I'm... I'm... I'm gonna be a daddy! With a whoop of joy, Tai spund around in a circle, still holding Sora in his arms. Sora exclaimed, getting dizzy. A dad! Tai cried. I'm gonna be a dad! He came to a halt, and lowered Sora's legs to the ground, allowing her to stand, but holding him close to her. I love you, Sora. And I love you, Tai, Sora replied, as they leaned in, and their lips met again, in a display of passion not seen since that day six years ago. I'll love you forever. - - -

THE EVER-LOVIN' END!

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And so it ends!

Well, how did we all like this part? I had a lot of fun writing it, especially the bits with the bouquet and the garter. But that's not what matters - the important thing is, did YOU like it? If you did, then I beg ya, write a review! ^_^

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The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.